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Elicitation of irrigators' risk preferences from observed behaviour

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  • Céline Nauges
  • Sarah Ann Wheeler
  • Alec Zuo

Abstract

type="main" xml:id="ajar12134-abs-0001"> Water trading in the Murray–Darling Basin of Australia has developed to the point where it is a common adaptation tool used by irrigators, making it an apt case study to elicit the marginal value of irrigation water and irrigators' risk preferences in two key industries with differing levels of water dependence. Our data come from large-scale and representative surveys of irrigated broadacre and horticultural farms in the Murray–Darling Basin over a 6-year period. The marginal contribution of irrigation water to profit is estimated at $547 and $61/ML on average in horticulture and broadacre, respectively. Horticultural irrigators are found to be averse to the risk of large losses (downside risk) while broadacre irrigators are averse to the variability (variance) of profit.

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  • Céline Nauges & Sarah Ann Wheeler & Alec Zuo, 2016. "Elicitation of irrigators' risk preferences from observed behaviour," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 60(3), pages 442-458, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ajarec:v:60:y:2016:i:3:p:442-458
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/ajar.2016.60.issue-3
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    1. Zuo, Alec & Qiu, Feng & Wheeler, Sarah Ann, 2019. "Examining volatility dynamics, spillovers and government water recovery in Murray-Darling Basin water markets," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    2. Adamson, David & Loch, Adam & Schwabe, Kurt, 2017. "Adaptation responses to increasing drought frequency," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 61(3), July.
    3. Zuo, Alec & Wheeler, Sarah Ann & Xu, Ying, 2022. "Expanders, diversifiers or downsizers? Identifying clusters of irrigators’ water trade and farm management strategies in Australia," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 264(C).
    4. Guerrero-Baena, M. Dolores & Villanueva, Anastasio J. & Gómez-Limón, José A. & Glenk, Klaus, 2019. "Willingness to pay for improved irrigation water supply reliability: An approach based on probability density functions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 217(C), pages 11-22.
    5. R. Quentin Grafton & James Horne & Sarah Ann Wheeler, 2016. "On the Marketisation of Water: Evidence from the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(3), pages 913-926, February.
    6. Wheeler, Sarah Ann & Marning, Angelika, 2019. "Turning water into wine: Exploring water security perceptions and adaptation behaviour amongst conventional, organic and biodynamic grape growers," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 528-537.
    7. Sarah Ann Wheeler & Alec Zuo, 2017. "The impact of drought and water scarcity on irrigator farm exit intentions in the Murray–Darling Basin," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 61(3), pages 404-421, July.
    8. Delorit, Justin D. & Parker, Dominic P. & Block, Paul J., 2019. "An agro-economic approach to framing perennial farm-scale water resources demand management for water rights markets," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 218(C), pages 68-81.
    9. Abebe, Fentahun & Zuo, Alec & Wheeler, Sarah Ann & Bjornlund, Henning & Chilundo, Mario & Kissoly, Luitfred & Dube, Thabani, 2022. "The influences on farmers' planned and actual farm adaptation decisions: Evidence from small-scale irrigation schemes in South-Eastern Africa," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    10. Bozzola, Martina & DiFalco, Salvatore & Finger, Robert, 2017. "Time variant risk preferences in agriculture: evidences from Italy," 2017 Annual Meeting, July 30-August 1, Chicago, Illinois 258365, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    11. Sarah Ann Wheeler, 2022. "Debunking Murray‐Darling Basin water trade myths," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 66(4), pages 797-821, October.

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